Daily editionThursday, September 3rd, 2026
Good morning, Pensacola.
The Daily Pensacola Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 3rd of September.
Community
Escambia County spent over $800,000 to upgrade Perdido Kids Park with new playground equipment, ADA accessible amenities and a parking lot at Gulf Beach Highway.
The grand reopening with a ribbon cutting is today at 10 a.m. — families can enjoy original features like the handprint wall and climbing trees.
Pensacola News JournalRead more
Pensacola Humane Society launched its new Spay it Forward program, letting pet owners in Escambia County enter a lottery for low-cost sterilization vouchers (15 available monthly) at Gull Point Animal Hospital to help reduce overpopulation.
WEAR-TVRead more
Florida food banks received 5.67 million eggs from a federal price-fixing settlement delivered through Feeding Florida’s nine affiliates across all 67 counties by the end of Sept. 2 to help needy families secure breakfast staples.
Pensacola News JournalRead more
Culture
The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival expands to include events Oct. 1-4 in Historic Downtown, community programming Oct. 5-7 and beachside performances Oct. 8-11–featuring over 150 songwriters and a national contest with a $1,000 grand prize.
Attendees should check details on venues and times as schedules evolve.
Local PulseRead more
Education
Governor DeSantis announced a $3 million grant that will create a maritime fabrication training center at Northwest Florida State College — designed to quickly prepare workers for careers in shipbuilding and related fields.
Groundbreaking starts Dec. 1 and the center will operate within a year.
WEAR-TVRead more
Finance
Homeowners in Pensacola face challenges as most flood insurance policies require a 30-day waiting period and insurers often stop issuing new coverage when storms are expected.
Residents should review policy details and consider federal disaster loans if needed — a key step during hurricane season.
Pensacola News JournalRead more
Government
Florida Defense Support Commission awarded the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion & Development Commission $200K to plan a cyber warfare training hub rebuild at Corry Station; the grant funds stakeholder meetings and contractor searches for the $200M+ project that will finish planning by May, potentially boosting local jobs.
Rick's BlogRead more
Lifestyle
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is hosting Pilates with Dolphins sessions every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. from Sept. 5 to Sept. 26 in the Dolphin Oasis, where a certified instructor leads workouts (limited to 40 participants) for ages 12 and up who must bring a mat, water bottle, and arrive 15 minutes early.
Local PulseRead more
Accidents
On Sept. 1, a 40-year-old diver was attacked by a shark off Pensacola and rescued by the Coast Guard after a nearby vessel reported the incident — EMTs treated him before he was transported by a response boat to Naval Air Station Pensacola and then Sacred Heart Hospital.
Pensacola News JournalRead more